Hayashi Itsuki felt a pang of guilt.
He had deliberately played the pitiful card just to draw sympathy from his little angel classmate.
Still… it seemed to have worked.
Even though Mahiru hadn't spoken to him all morning, she had come over at lunchtime to ask him a question.
And she had worried about what he was eating.
Chances were, she didn't even realize it herself, but she had already started seeing him as someone special.
In front of the other students, Shiina Mahiru always maintained that polite, approachable smile.
She handled classmates' chatter effortlessly, preserving her angelic persona.
But only with Itsuki did she let down that "good girl" mask, showing a more honest, slightly stubborn side.
Seeing that, Itsuki was more convinced than ever that snatching her from the very start had been the right move.
If he hadn't, how could he have become someone special in Mahiru's heart?
…
That afternoon, it was time for the grade test.
Kato Megumi handed him his test paper and turned away to begin.
Itsuki began writing at a steady pace.
It was a math exam. Previously, he might have struggled, but now, with his awakened memories, this kind of problem was a breeze.
To put it bluntly, any average college student from China could stroll into a Japanese high school and crush the math curriculum.
The problems were genuinely simple, and the pace was slow.
Of course, that assumed you'd actually studied high school math seriously… and that math wasn't taught by the gym teacher.
Can you imagine?
In the morning English class, the teacher had barely gone over some grammar and a few vocabulary words before letting the students freely converse in English.
The class was ridiculously laid-back.
Yet, some people still struggled.
For the naturally weak students, there was nothing they could do but accept their fate.
Once the math test was over, the students began comparing answers.
Nearby, Hubu Sho let out a scream.
"Damn it! I picked the wrong answer ahhh!"
Itsuki didn't bother checking answers with anyone. Instead, he pulled out the laptop he had bought with money from part-time work and started playing an online game.
After a quick check, he saw that a developer named "Mochiba Akihiko" was creating a virtual reality game.
It was still in development, and there were no beta testers yet.
The game he was currently playing was adventure-themed, mainly teaming up with others to fight monsters and farm equipment.
But watching the half-health monsters healed by the party's priest, who had just screwed over their teammates, made Itsuki twitch slightly at the corner of his mouth.
Then he noticed the female mage's name: "Tamaki Ako."
No way… could it be?
The heroine from "Online Game Wives Can't Really Be Girls"—the obsessive otaku girl who confused game and reality?
Her knowledge of the real world constantly mixed with in-game experiences?
Itsuki glanced at his own character name: Lin Tianzhen.
Why that name? Perhaps a relic of his past, middle-school "chuunibyou" self.
Now, he had graduated from that phase and transformed into a demon.
Seeing the in-game messages from his "wife" Ako, begging him to continue the dungeon, Itsuki felt… conflicted.
He ignored her desperate pleas and logged off immediately.
Gaming was supposed to be relaxing.
But Ako had gone too far!
She had nearly finished the boss fight… and then she healed the boss herself, screwing over the teammates.
Itsuki had no desire to continue.
Also… what was the designer thinking?
Why could players heal monsters?
It made him want to create a new character just to troll random teammates.
After the final class, students began saying their goodbyes, leaving the school.
Some went off to club activities.
Hayama Hayato, for instance, was on the school soccer team, so naturally, he headed off to practice.
Itsuki quietly trailed behind Shiina Mahiru, who wasn't in any clubs, keeping a comfortable distance.
They boarded the train together.
Since their homes were next to each other, it was a convenient route.
It seemed to be rush hour.
A crowd of office workers packed in, making the air thick and stifling.
Itsuki frowned and, acting quickly, pulled Mahiru close, pressing her against the wall and shielding her with his body to create a small space around her.
Mahiru blushed, sneaking a glance at him and whispering softly.
"Thank you."
She wasn't foolish—she knew he was protecting her from being groped by strangers.
Itsuki nodded slightly in response.
The train grew more crowded.
Despite it being packed, the attendant outside, wearing white gloves, continued pushing people inside.
Itsuki found it exasperating.
With the "help" of those passengers, he and Mahiru ended up pressed closely together.
The girl's face flushed, her small hands resting on his chest, and her breathing grew slightly rapid.
"Sorry, Shiina-san… this is unavoidable."
"It's fine… I understand," Mahiru whispered, her body softening as she drew in his close presence.
The memories of that night, and the morning when he had cherished her, floated through her mind, making her even more flustered.
She didn't blame him for being so close. After all, it was better to be pressed against him than some stranger.
Today had been unlucky—trains had never been this crowded before.
Seeing Mahiru's flushed little face, obediently leaning into him, Itsuki's heart thumped uncontrollably.
Her face, no bigger than a palm, pale and tender skin, those tiny cherry-colored lips—so close he could kiss her.
Taste the sweetness and softness.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his mischievous thoughts, and firmly shielded her from anyone behind them.
He wouldn't let anyone touch her.
Finally, they reached a station. The crowded train cleared, and Itsuki reluctantly let go of her slim waist, keeping a safe distance.
No choice—any closer, and his "little brother" might protest.
Mahiru clutched her schoolbag, head bowed, avoiding his gaze.
She hadn't talked to him all day… except for that one question at lunch.
She had assumed he was upset, but seeing him just now… his first instinct had been to pull her close and protect her.
Her heart, still fragile and tender, felt unexpectedly moved.
Seeing her bow her head to thank him, Itsuki looked around and, finding no classmates nearby, couldn't resist patting her little head.
"You're welcome. Protecting you is only natural."
Mahiru felt the warmth on her head, her eyes glistening slightly. She turned away for a moment.
After a long pause, she turned back, her golden eyes shimmering.
"It's not natural… I'll repay you."
Itsuki smiled faintly.
"Alright. I'll be looking forward to it, little angel."
Hearing him use the nickname classmates had given her, Mahiru felt her face burn with embarrassment.
Pouting, she glared at him and protested:
"Don't call me 'angel'! I hate that!"
"Uh… but you're so popular. Being admired and praised with that title isn't a bad thing, right?"
Itsuki feigned confusion, subtly nudging her heart open.
Closing the distance between them.
The "angel" everyone saw was just a mask. With those closest to her, Mahiru could show her real personality.
The perfect angelic girl everyone adored was, at heart, just a girl who longed to be treated gently.
As an angel, she gave those around her emotional comfort. But that constant giving must have been exhausting too.
Her smiles were for everyone—but her little temper was exclusively for Itsuki.
He wanted her to continue acting a little spoiled in front of him, letting off some steam.
"…Anyway…" Mahiru turned her head, frowning. "I just don't want you calling me that… I'm not an angel."
Itsuki shrugged, conceding gracefully:
"Then I'll just call you Shiina-san."
"Whatever… just don't call me 'angel.'"
Mahiru nodded faintly, glancing at him briefly before looking away again.
She didn't know how to interact with Itsuki.
With other classmates, conversation flowed effortlessly—she always had a smile ready.
But with him… the man who had claimed her body, seen her flustered countless times, her heart was a mess.
She had decided not to acknowledge him, to forget the incidents…
Yet he had approached her again without reason.
Just now, he had held her close, protecting her.
Her emotions were tangled as she remained silent.
Itsuki's voice broke through her thoughts:
"Shiina-san, this is our stop. Time to get off!"
"Oh."
She snapped back to reality and hurried off the train, walking toward the apartment with him.
Glancing at his face from the corner of her eye, she thought to herself:
Tonight… I'll make an extra portion of food.
She remembered that all he had eaten at lunch was a sausage and a piece of bread—and she couldn't let that slide.